The Yellow Deli— Operated by Religious Sect— Cited for Child Labor

“Twelve Tribes” is a cult-like Christian group with 3,000 members in the U.S. and other countries. Local “tribes” live together in self-sustaining communities, with many operating cafes — all named The Yellow Deli Cafe — in small nearby towns. In the U.S., they operate charming restaurants in tourist towns such as Rutland, Vermont and Oneonta, New York.

Part of the problem seems to be underage wait staff or kitchen help. But the problem is much deeper.

These communes also manufacture and market cosmetics. Acure, a cosmetics retailer, was a purchaser of Twelve Tribes products until a few weeks ago. 

Amazon was a distributor of these products.

Last week, “Inside Edition” ran a blockbuster story using a hidden video camera to show underage children (as young as about 10) working at the Twelve Tribes cosmetics packaging factory in New York. See here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q4v9bhVL3w.

The New York Department of Labor recently found several child labor law violations at a soap factory owned by the Twelve Tribes. It has more investigations in progress.

A woman raised on one of the communes told reporters that the labor violations have been going on for years, but it’s not the only type of abuse the children there are facing.

In a Twitter message, she said, “What the public doesn't seem to understand is that ritualized beatings, ones canonized in the leaders’ “Teachings” with step by step instructions on how to “train” your children by “breaking their will,” that when you mix this type of child rearing with a utilitarian government like they have in the Twelve Tribes; the result is child slavery in our backyards.”